High School Romance
by Bada-Bing
Summary: Back at Lincoln High... Chandler & Monica are BFF... but is there anything more to it? R/R are a couple... will it be M/C? NEW CHAPTER FINALLY UPLOADED!!! (R/R)
1. How it all began

This is an attempt at an HS fic.  
  
(begins in 10th grade)  
  
Monica and Chandler are best friends. Chandler is a year older and they go way back. Ross is dating Rachel. Rachel is sorta friends with Monica. they used to be a little closer but now Rachel spends more time w/Ross.  
  
Note: Monica is NOT fat. Chandler & Ross are on a "friendly" basis but not great friends. Chandler's parents aren't who they are on TV  
  
DISCLAIMER: I OWN NONE OF THESE CHARACTERS. YADA YADA YADA  
  
Monica walked through the halls to her locker at Lincoln High. 'Two exams tomorrow and a massive homework assignment to hand in,' she thought to herself. At least she could bum a ride off Ross, instead of taking the cramped bus. The one plus to having an older brother in the same school as her was that she got rides with him the car he just bought. Though he originally donned his old Volvo the "Shaggin Wagon", he knew that Rachel would dump him the minute she heard the name, and so he called it "the Roadster." Monica chuckled to herself as she thought about it.  
  
As Monica approached her locker, she saw her brother making out in the hallway with his girlfriend, Rachel. Though Monica and Rachel were pretty good friends growing up, they began to drift upon entering Lincoln High. Nevertheless, they would still hang out together every so often, and would see each other at parties. "Ahemmm," Monica cleared her voice quite loudly. Ross and Rachel quickly separated, fearing it was the principal trying to break them up for public displays of affection. When Ross saw that it was Monica standing by him, the look of fear on his face quickly changed to a look of anger. "Mon! Just cause you can't get a guy doesn't mean you have to interrupt me when I'm with my girlfriend!" Ross said. 'Who am I kidding?' Ross thought to himself 'Practically all the guys at Lincoln want Monica. I wonder why she still doesn't have a boyfriend.' "Sorry, Ross. I was just waiting for you so that we can get home. I have two tests tomorrow." Monica replied. "Oh yeah, about that, Mon. ummmm. Rach and I were actually going to go to the mall shopping for the winter formal. I mean, you can come if you want." "Well, I do have those two tests. And I would be a third wheel." "I'm sorry, Mon. I mean, I'd drop you off but its really out of the way." "Don't worry bout it. I'll just ask Chandler." Monica walked away, hoping that Chandler was still around. Chandler had been her best friend for ages. Though they had always had fun together, they grew closer and closer over the years. Still, nothing romantic ever happened between them, Monica thought. She always had a little crush on Chandler, but she never thought it was worth ruining their friendship by her telling him her true feelings.  
  
"Chandler!" Monica said as she saw him by the phone booth. "Monica!" He exclaimed as he gave her a hug. "How was your day today?" "Pretty good. you? "Not bad. can't wait till the weekend though." "Same here. Say, I hope this isn't a big inconvenience, but can you give me a ride home today? Ross is taking Rachel shopping for a winter formal dress." "No prob. c'mon, lets go." Chandler and Monica talked the whole way home. Though they spent whole weekends together and always sat at the same table for lunch, they were never at a loss of words. A few moments later, Chandler arrived at Monica's house. "So here we are. the beautiful Gellar homestead." he joked. "Yeah. Well, see ya tomorrow." "Hey Mon, can I ask you a question?" "Sure. Shoot." "Okay, you know how Winter Formal's coming up?" Chandler asked. "Yeah." "Well, I still haven't got a date. Anyways. I was thinking." "What?" Monica asked with a bit of hope in her voice. "You think Sara Hamerman will say yes if I ask her?" Monica was almost taken aback. She was so sure that Chandler was going to ask her to the dance. Dumbfounded, she responded. "Yeah, um, I guess so. um, yea, I mean, um, ask her." She tried holding back her tears. She knew that many guys at school hit on her, but she never would say yes because she was waiting for Chandler to ask her out. Why couldn't he ever see how pretty she was? "Thanks, Mon. See ya tomorrow!" "Bye, Chandler." She said as she got out of the car. She ran into her house and up to her room, tears welling up in her eyes. She threw her backpack on the floor and laid on her bed, sobbing into the covers.  
  
"Monica, phone call!" Judy Gellar screamed upstairs. Monica woke up from her slumber only to see that it was dark outside. 'Man, I slept too long,' Monica thought to herself. She then remembered about Chandler about to ask Sara out. "Coming, mom." Monica ran to the phone, hoping that her mom wouldn't notice the dried tears on her cheeks. "Hello?" "Hey, Mon, it's Chandler." "Oh, hey," she said, trying to sound as upbeat as possible. "What's up?" "I took your advice and asked out Sara. and she said yes! Thanks so much, Mon. You're the best best friend ever!" "Gee, thanks," Mon said with a tinge of sadness in her voice. "Everything okay?" "Yeah, I'm just a bit groggy. I fell asleep after you dropped me off." "Well, have some caffeine or something. and good luck on your tests tomorrow!" "Thanks. G'night." Monica hung up the phone with even more disappointment. 'What, you really thought he called to ask you out?' She thought to herself. 'Just block Chandler out of your mind and go study for your exam.'  
  
The next day, Monica sat down at her regular lunch table. She finished her exams, which went okay, even though she hadn't studied much, and sat at the table waiting for Chandler. About five minutes later Chandler came to the table. "Hey, Mon," he said. "Hey." "Um. Mon. is it okay if I go and sit at Sara's table today?" Monica was startled. How dare this Sara girl take Chandler completely away from her? Nevertheless, Monica knew that if she said no, Chandler would think she was jealous of Sara. "Sure. Okay, I'll catch ya later." Chandler began walking to Sara's table, as Monica got started on her lunch. After only a few bites of her salad, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to find Joey Tribbiani. Joey was one of the hottest and most popular guys at her school. The bathroom walls were scribbled with comments about Joey - all positive, of course. "Hey, Mon," he said. "Um. I was just wondering. do you have a date for Winter Formal?"  
  
"No." "Phew. well, I was thinking, um, would you like to come with me to the dance?" Though Monica had always said no to the popular guys, she figured that she didn't have a date, and Chandler was already taken. "Um. okay!" "Thank goodness. you know, Mon, I really wanted to ask you a while ago, but I figured you'd go with like Chandler Bing or something." "Me and Chandler," Monica said, sounding rather fake. "Yeah, right." "Okay, well great. My phone number is 274-1234. I'll pick you up at 7pm. And I'm having a post-dance party at my house. Wanna come?"  
  
"Why not." Joey left the table and Monica let out a little smile. Sure, he wasn't Chandler, but he was definitely considered more desirable by all the girls at school.  
  
As Monica approached her locker at the end of the day, she saw Chandler waiting for her. "Sorry for ditching you at lunch today," he said. "Want me to give you a ride home?" She turned around to see her brother and Rachel making out. "Well, yeah, I guess they won't be leaving for a while. So, why not."  
  
The car ride home was quieter than in the past. About halfway through the ride, Chandler tried striking up a conversation. "So, Mon, if you were Sara, what flowers would you want me to get you." "Daisies," Monica said a little to quickly. "Sorry, they're my favorite. But I guess roses are always a safe choice." "Thanks, Mon, you're the best," he said as he lightly grabbed her hand. "So, I hear you're going with Joey Tribbiani." "Yeah. well he asked me today at lunch, and I didn't have a date yet," Monica lingered. "Well, good choice. from what I hear, he's quite a stud." "Oh, um, ok. Anyways, my house is here. thanks for the ride again," Monica said as she cautiously hugged Chandler, and got out of the car.  
  
Chandler watched Monica as she walked into her house. The thought of Joey Tribbiani taking her to the dance got to him a little. 'Why didn't I just ask her?' he thought to himself. 'Because she's beautiful, she'd reject me, and we wouldn't even be friends anymore,' he reasoned. Still, they didn't seem to tight over the past couple of days. Chandler figured that after the dance everything would be back to normal.  
  
The next day, Chandler sat down next to Monica at lunch. Monica looked up from her sandwich and smiled at him. "Hey, how's your day going?" Monica asked. "Okay. yours?" "Fine." As the small talk continued, Joey walked over to their table. "Can I sit here?" he asked. Monica looked to Chandler for an answer, but when she saw no response, she replied 'yes.' Joey sat down and began talking to Monica, ignoring the fact that Chandler was there. "So, you pick out a dress for the dance?" Joey asked. "Yeah. And Rachel and I are doing each others hair." "She's the one dating that Ross dude, right?" "Yeah, that's my brother." "Cool. Well, anyways, me and some friends are renting a block of hotel rooms for after the dance. Y'know, just to like crash and party and all. Ya wanna come?" "Sure. um. I guess that's fine. Can Chandler come?" "Well, I mean, if he wants to get a room for him and his date. Chandler, you in?" "Yeah, that's fine," Chandler replied.  
  
The lunch bell rang and Chandler walked off to his next class. "Here, let me carry your books for you," Joey offered Monica, as he took them out of her hand. They walked silently towards Monica's class. As they neared her math class, Joey gave her a peck on the cheek along with the line, "See you later, babe." 


	2. At the Dance and the AfterParty

Sorry that the last chapter was so hard to read. this one's double spaced so hopefully it will be more readable.  
  
Thanks to everyone for the great reviews! I really appreciate it! Also. as far as Phoebe goes. she DID live on the streets as a teen, but if I can somehow get her into the story I will ASAP (if any of you have an idea, let me know!).  
  
DISCLAIMER: I own none of these characters, etc, etc, etc  
  
(This chapter takes place a few days later)  
  
Every day for the next week was the same old. Joey sat with Monica and Chandler at their lunch table, and would walk Monica to her class, holding her book and giving her a peck on the cheek. Chandler felt a bit jealous as Monica began spending more and more time with Joey, but he stayed silent. 'You brought this on yourself, man," he kept thinking. Rachel spent a few minutes a day in Monica's room, and they planned out much of their dance preparations. Though Ross and Rachel decided not to take part in the after- dance hotel party, as Rachel had the house all to herself that weekend, Rachel and Monica decided to do everything before the dance together, including having a pre-dance dinner with their dates.  
  
Saturday brought chaos to the Gellar household. As Ross got in his tux, gelled his hair and fidgeted with the corsage he bought for Rachel, Monica's room was in a frenzy. Monica, in her shimmery lavender gown was straightening Rachel's hair as Rachel anxiously put on makeup. By six o'clock everyone was ready, and the girls descended the stairs as Ross and Joey, who had just arrived, stared in awe.  
  
"Let me take some pictures!" Judy Gellar exclaimed. "Jack, get me the camera."  
  
Jack Gellar ran over with the camera and began shooting away at Ross, Rachel, Monica, and Joey as they posed. After the pictures they went to the cars and drove off to a local restaurant.  
  
At 8pm Monica and Joey arrived at the dance.  
  
"Let me say, Mon, you look gorgeous," Joey said smoothly.  
  
"Gee, thanks," Monica replied as she blushed. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Chandler arrive with his date. She began to tense up a little bit as she saw them holding hands. Chandler and Sara walked over to where Monica and Joey were.  
  
"Hey Mon! This is Sara, my date, Sara, this is Mon. I don't believe you've met."  
  
"Hi," Monica said.  
  
"Hey," Sara replied. The conversation ended at that and Chandler and Sara went elsewhere on the dance floor. Throughout the dance Monica kept envisioning herself dancing with Chandler instead of Joey. Sure, Joey was every girl's dream, but she related so much better with Chandler.  
  
"Okay, boys and girls! Our last dance of the night. Hope y'all had a great time and have a safe trip back!" The emcee announced several hours later. "Stairway to Heaven" came on the sound system and Joey pulled Monica close to him as they danced. Monica laid her head on Joey's shoulder, mostly for the purpose of not seeing Chandler dancing with Sara.  
  
"I had a great time with you tonight," Joey whispered in Monica's ear.  
  
"Me too," Monica said. Joey looked her in they eye and without another word, kissed her on the lips. Though Monica was a bit startled at first, as it was her first kiss, she eventually sunk into it and began kissing back. She pulled away and looked Joey in the eye. She remembered all the diary entries she wrote saying how much she wanted Chandler to be her first kiss. But that was no longer possible.  
  
"So, you ready for the party?" Joey asked.  
  
"Yeah, lets go!" Monica tried sounding as enthusiastic as possible.  
  
Monica and Joey got to their hotel room before the others had arrived. The block of rooms were all adjoining, and Monica's room was in between Chandler's and one of the football player's rooms.  
  
"Let me just change into some jeans," Monica said. She went into the bathroom and came out in some low cut flares and a tight long-sleeved shirt.  
  
"Wow, Mon, you can wear anything!" Joey exclaimed. They heard noise as the others arrived.  
  
"We got the booze!!!" Chip Matthews said as he held up a twelve-pack. A bunch of other football players ran in with their dates in tow. As the mob subsided, Monica saw Chandler and Sara walk in. Her heart sunk once again.  
  
The music was blasting and the supply of alcohol was waning as it neared 3am. Noticing that Monica had not had anything to drink yet, Joey approached her.  
  
"Wanna beer?" He asked. Though she rarely drank, she obliged. Beer in hand, she walked into the next adjoining room only to see Chandler sitting alone on a couch.  
  
"What's up, Chandler?" Monica asked as she sat down next to him.  
  
"Over there," he said, pointing to the corner of her room. Monica looked in that direction only to see Chip making out with Sara.  
  
"Why don't you just say something?" Monica asked innocently.  
  
"Nah, she'll just be pissed. Anyways, she wasn't too cool, not as interesting as you," he said, looking into her eyes. Monica began thinking about how great it would have been if they went together as dates. Before she became trapped in thought, Joey entered the room, drinking a beer, and plopped down next to Monica.  
  
"So there's my favorite lady," he said, as he began to kiss her. When he saw Monica kissing back, Chandler got up, not sure whether he was devastated, shocked, or disgusted.  
  
"Well, I'm going to bed," Chandler said, though he was sure neither Monica nor Joey heard him. "If you need anything, I'll be in my room." Monica separated herself from Joey.  
  
"Okay, 'night Chandler," Monica said.  
  
The hours passed and couples began leaving towards their hotel rooms. Monica had consumed a few more beers, and was a bit tipsy. Plus the drowsiness was setting in.  
  
"Wanna get to bed?" Joey asked, seeing how beat she was.  
  
"Yea." They made their way to their room. Let me just get into my PJ's, Monica said as she stumbled into the bathroom. When she exited a few minutes later in her pajamas, she saw Joey sitting up in bed, wearing nothing but a wifebeater and boxers.  
  
"Um. I'll sleep on the floor," she said.  
  
"No, sleep here. There's plenty of room," Joey said, motioning to the empty half of their king-size bed.  
  
"You sure?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah." Without hesitation, Monica laid on the bed and pulled the covers over her. She began drifting into a slumber when Joey started talking to her.  
  
"Mon, I have to say, this was one of the best nights ever."  
  
"Yeah, it was pretty fun," Monica replied.  
  
"You are just gorgeous," he said, as he turned her towards him and began kissing her. Monica didn't know what happened to her, but she put her drowsiness aside and began kissing him back. The kissing continued for a few minutes before Joey's arms started roaming up and down her body. As they got under her shirt, she grabbed his arms in an attempt to push them away. She didn't want to go past kissing, especially with Joey. Instead, he took this act of restraint as a cue to take her arms, and put them in his pants. Monica pulled away.  
  
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?" she said.  
  
"Nothing. We're just here, making out."  
  
"Well I don't want to anymore. I'm going to sleep." Monica turned her back towards him and tucked the blanket underneath her body. A few moments later Joey's arms started caressing her stomach.  
  
"I'm sorry honey."  
  
"Joey, stop!" She said, half-asleep. Joey, however, didn't stop. He kept feeling her up, and reached his hands underneath her shirt. As she felt him touching her breasts, she shot up so that she was sitting upright in bed.  
  
"Joey, I said stop!"  
  
"Oh c'mon baby, you know you love it," he said, as he got on top of her and began furiously making out with her. With her eyes wide open, she noticed that he was no longer wearing his boxers. Though she kept trying to restrain him, he continued kissing her, and was tugging at her pajama pants. He got them off and was going for her underwear as she finally found the power to him off of her.  
  
"That's it! I said stop it and you couldn't frickin restrain yourself," she said, as tears welled up in her eyes. "Goodnight." She said, angrily, as she ran out the door, wearing only a tiny, old t-shirt and underwear.  
  
Monica banged furiously on the door to Chandler's hotel room, praying that he's be awake. The tears kept falling and she was hysterical as she replayed the whole scene with Joey in hear head.  
  
"Chandler, be awake. Please!" Monica cried. Eventually her prayers were answered as the door opened, and she saw Chandler rubbing his eyes. The tired look in his eyes changed to one of deep concern as he saw her standing in front of him wearing next to nothing, with puffy, tearstained eyes, and whimpering.  
  
"He. he. he tried to make me have sex with him!" Monica sputtered out as she collapsed into Chandler's open arms.  
  
Okay, before you all get mad, I'm sorry for making Joey out to be such a bad guy. Please forgive me, and review! 


	3. I get by with a little help from my frie...

Thanks everyone for the great reviews!!! I still haven't gotten out the kinks like making this better spaced, so please bear with me.  
  
DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS.  
  
  
  
Chandler held Monica in his arms for what seemed like eternity. Her tears were soaking his tee shirt, and he could still hear her whimpering. Noticing how she was still wearing very little, he guided her into his room, and turned on the lights.  
  
"Here, Mon, put these on," he said, handing her a pair of shorts. She put them on, and Chandler could see the tears still running down her face. He went over to hug her again, but she twitched at his touch.  
  
"I'm sorry, Chandler. I didn't mean to do that. I guess I'm just scared right now," she apologized.  
  
"No worries," he responded as she laid down on his bed.  
  
"Um, Chandler, is it okay if you just hold me for a while?" Monica shyly asked. Chandler laid down next to her and held her in his arms. She continued whimpering for a few more minutes.  
  
"Monica," Chandler said, softly.  
  
"Yea." She responded.  
  
"You can tell me anything you want. I mean, don't feel obligated to, but if you need to talk, I'll be there. Ok?"  
  
"Yes. Thanks, Chandler." He continued to hold her, and silence filled the room. Just as he thought that Monica had fallen asleep, he heard her voice.  
  
"Chandler," she said.  
  
"Hey, what's up?"  
  
"I need to talk. I mean, why did I have to go with Joey? I should have just stayed home and none of this would have happened to me," she said as tears began to well up in her eyes again. "I shouldn't have kissed him. I should have gone home right after the dance. I shouldn't have drunken any alcohol. I should have just slept on the floor. But no, I went with him, I kissed him, I went to the party and I drank. I went to sleep next to him. God, I'm such an idiot!" Monica began crying harder.  
  
"No, honey, you're not. You did nothing wrong here, he just took advantage of you. You have to realize that none of this was your fault."  
  
"That. that kiss. um. he was the first guy I ever kissed. and now when I think about it, I'll always think of what a jerk he is," Monica said as she buried her head in Chandler's chest.  
  
"Shhhh, shhhh, don't worry about it. I feel horrible that this happened to you, Mon. You only deserve the best, and it sucks that such an asshole would try to take advantage of you like he did. But if you ever need anything, tell me. I promise I'll always be there for you."  
  
"Thanks, Chandler," she said as she continued to stay close to him. "I wish all guys were like you. You're the greatest friend ever," she said, as she drifted off to sleep. Chandler's heart melted. If only they could be more than friends. He held her close as he too fell asleep.  
  
Monica awoke the next morning still in Chandler's arms. She didn't remember how she got there, or why she was in a hotel room, until she looked down and saw that she was wearing Chandler's shorts. A flood of memories came back to her, and she began tearing up. At the feel of the sheets rustling, Chandler woke up. He sat up in bed and saw Monica sitting on the nearby couch, her face buried in her hands. Chandler walked out of bed and went over to Monica. He tried to embrace her, but she flinched and avoided his hug.  
  
"I'm sorry," said Monica. "I just need some more time. I don't really want to be touched."  
  
"It's okay, sweetie, that's normal," Chandler replied. "Come on, let's get breakfast, and then I'll take you back to your house."  
  
"In this?"  
  
"Okay, we'll order room service."  
  
Half an hour later the breakfast came, and Monica and Chandler sat on the couch, nibbling away at the eggs and pancakes.  
  
"So what will happen at school," Monica asked, as she started fidgeting with her fingers.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Like, when I have to see Joey. What will happen?"  
  
"I don't know, but you'll be fine. Do you want to talk to your parents, or a teacher?"  
  
"No, my parents won't understand. And I don't want anyone knowing."  
  
"Okay, well you've always got me. And I'm sure Ross will be supportive too. Come on, let me take you home."  
  
Chandler checked out of the hotel room and brought Monica with him to his car. She was still wearing only a t-shirt and his shorts, but he knew she shouldn't go to Joey's room to get her clothes back, and Chandler would have felt the need to punch Joey if he saw his face. So Chandler thought it was best to have one of his friends pick up the clothes at a later time.  
  
The ride home was silent. Monica kept drifting in and out of slumber, while Chandler replayed the night in his head. 'What a poor girl,' he thought. 'If only I had the balls to ask her out in the first place, she wouldn't be suffering like this. I'm such a loser.' Chandler arrived at the Gellar's house, and woke Monica up.  
  
"Mon, we're at your house."  
  
"Okay, thanks."  
  
"Remember, if you need anything, call me."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"See ya tomorrow, hun," Chandler said as he pulled away from the house.  
  
Monica arrived home and ran straight up to her room. When she hit the pillow, she let out another flood of tears. She wished Chandler had taken her to the dance. She knew that he would have never taken advantage of her. She fell asleep, wishing that this whole experience would vanish when she woke up.  
  
Monday morning Monica arrived at school only to hear chatter in the hall. One of the popular guys approached her, saying:  
  
"Why, if it isn't the prude princess! What, Joey not good enough for you?" Monica was deeply upset, but she ignored him and continued to walk on. 'Idiot,' she thought, 'of course word was going to get around.'  
  
Rachel caught up with Monica before lunch. "So, Mon, how was the after-party?" Rachel asked, waiting to hear the latest gossip about hookups and such.  
  
"Um, it was okay," Monica replied, trying to keep her sorrow to herself.  
  
"Well, come on, tell me about it at lunch!" Rachel said, enthusiastically.  
  
"Hold on, I have to go to the bathroom," Monica replied as she turned right.  
  
Monica sat in one of the stalls as she heard a group of girls come in.  
  
"Yeah, so I heard Joey got lucky this weekend," one of the girls said.  
  
"Oh really, with who?" another asked.  
  
"Monica Gellar, you know, that sophomore with dark hair." the girl responded.  
  
"Really?" another one asked. "I thought she never hooked up with guys."  
  
"Well I guess we didn't know much about her," the first girl responded. "From what I hear, she's easier than one of Mr. Smith's math tests. I mean, really, she must sleep around a lot. she wasn't even dating him or anything." The girls giggled and left.  
  
Tears welled up in Monica's eyes as she heard him talking. She'd rather be thought of as prude than a slut. She didn't even sleep with him, and she wouldn't have done anything more than kissing if he hadn't forced her. As the words of the girls echoed in her head, she broke down into a hysterical sob.  
  
Rachel sat down next to Chandler.  
  
"Hey, Chan," she said, nonchalantly.  
  
"Hey. Have you seen Mon?"  
  
"Yeah, she just had to go to the bathroom. By the way, sorry it didn't work out with Sara."  
  
"You heard about that?" Rachel responded by pointing her finger to the back of the cafeteria, where Sara and Chip were going at it against the wall. "Yeah, well some things weren't meant to happen," he said.  
  
Twenty minutes later, Chandler grew concerned as Monica still hadn't come to their table.  
  
"Rachel, you're sure she just had to go to the bathroom?"  
  
"Positive. Um. I'm going to go to the bathroom to see if she's still there," Rachel said as she stood up and made her way towards the bathroom. She entered through the pink door to hear sniffling coming from one of the stalls.  
  
"Monica?" Rachel asked. No response. "Monica, are you there?" Rachel turned around as she heard a stall open, and saw Monica standing with bloodshot eyes, and tears running down her face.  
  
"Mon, what's the matter?" Rachel asked.  
  
"Um. do you know where Chandler is?"  
  
"Yeah, he's at the lunch table. Let me take you there," Rachel said as she reached out for Monica's hand. She walked Monica to the lunch table where Chandler was finishing his sandwich, and the two of them sat down.  
  
"Oh my God, Mon!" Chandler exclaimed as he went over to hug her. When she flinched again he kept his arms to each side of himself. "Rachel, is it okay if I talk to Mon alone?"  
  
"Yeah. I have to go meet up with Ross anyways. Feel better Mon." Rachel said as she picked up and left.  
  
"What's the matter Mon. Tell me all your troubles." Chandler said. Monica proceeded to tell him about the guy in the morning, and the girls in the bathroom. Chandler wanted to cry for Mon, but he felt as if it would only make her feel worse. Instead, Chandler used his sarcastic humor to cheer her up, and eventually a smile broke across her face. The first smile since Saturday night.  
  
The lunch bell rang and Chandler decided to walk Monica to class. "Thanks, Chandler." "For what? I didn't do anything for you." "For being there for me. I really appreciate it. this will just take a while for me to get over, but I appreciate having a friend here to help." With that, Monica smiled at him and walked off to class.  
  
Yea so not too much happened here. I have some ideas, but keep me posted with reviews and I'll try to update this ASAP. 


	4. As the year goes by

Disclaimer: Yeah, so I own like none of these characters. and so on and so forth.  
  
The weeks went by and things began getting back to normal. Monica's misadventure became old news to the gossip crew, and the name calling came to an end. Her relationship with Chandler was closer than ever - in a completely platonic way. She stopped talking about that fateful night in January, so Chandler felt like she was getting past it. Monica, on the other hand, still didn't trust most of the guys. Whenever Chandler would try to touch her, whether it would be a hug or a shake of the hand, she would immediately tense up. It was more of a reflex than anything else - after all, she still had a thing for Chandler, but Chandler felt as if she didn't trust him.  
  
Months passed and it was nearing finals. 'Summer vacation's right around the corner,' Monica thought with a smile. She couldn't wait to spend more time with Chandler. She began feeling better and was less tense around guys, and she began liking Chandler more and more. He put up with her through the late night phone calls, when she would wake up from bad dreams, weekends spent without other friends, because she didn't want to face them, and drives to nowhere, when she just wanted to get away. So why wouldn't he just ask her out?  
  
The last bell rang for the year as the Lincoln High students raced out of the front doors from the school. Summer break had officially begun.  
  
"Monica," a voice called out behind her. She turned around to see Chandler.  
  
"Wanna come to the beach today? I'm meeting up with Ross and Rachel there. and some other people. We're kicking off us now being seniors."  
  
"Sure. can we just stop at my house so I can get my swimsuit?"  
  
"Yeah." Chandler and Monica hopped in his car and, with the windows open and the music blasting, sped off to her house. Monica ran inside and up to her bedroom, Chandler following close behind.  
  
"Um. you can go see if Ross is here if you'd like," Monica said sheepishly. "I'm just going to change." She looked in her dresser for her bathing suits. A bunch of one-piece racerbacks, some really old ones, and a bright red bikini. She pulled out the bikini, and put it on with some hesitation. 'Maybe now he'll be attracted to me," she thought. She threw on a tank top and some short board shorts ontop, grabbed her sunglasses, beach towel, and flipflops, and headed for the door.  
  
"Chandler, I'm ready," she said. The two left, and headed towards the beach.  
  
"The party's getting started," Ross said, beer in hand, as Chandler and Monica arrived at the beach. Rachel snuck up behind Ross and hugged him.  
  
"Wanna go for a swim?" Rachel suggested.  
  
"Sure," he said, turning around to kiss her. The two made their way to the water. Chandler looked at Monica.  
  
"Care to join them?"  
  
"Sure," Monica said. She took off her tank top and board shorts so that she was only in her bathing suit. Chandler stared at her. 'I knew she was hot, but WOAH!' he thought to himself.  
  
Chandler and Monica had been in the water for a few minutes when Chandler decided to get a little rowdy. He grabbed Monica from behind and threw her in the water.  
  
"Chandler, you're dead!" she squealed as she ran after him. Chandler started running towards the shore, and Monica chased after him. Upon arriving on the shore Monica sprinted to catch up to him and began wrestling him to the sand. With just a little struggle, she managed to pin him to the ground.  
  
"1, 2." just then Chandler flipped over, so that he was pinning Monica. The two giggled for a little bit. Chandler just looked at Monica. She was gorgeous. Her hair was slightly tousled after being in the water, and she looked perfect in her bikini. He wanted to just lean his head down and kiss her. At the same time, Monica's face turned from smile to frown. All of a sudden, a flood of memories came as she remembered the last time she was being pinned down. Joey. That ass ruined everything for her.  
  
"I gotta go," Monica said as she lifted herself from under Chandler.  
  
"What's the matter, Mon?" Chandler asked, worried.  
  
"I just gotta go." She threw on her clothes and sprinted away, even though she knew that her home was several miles away.  
  
Monica arrived home as dusk was approaching. The whole way home she had been thinking of Chandler. Why did she have to seem so uncomfortable around him? He would never hurt her. She ran up to the shower, and as the water fell on her head, tears filled her eyes. She got out of the shower and into her pajamas, and drifted off to sleep, at the early hour of 8pm, dreaming only of Chandler.  
  
Chandler, on the other hand, wandered around aimlessly, partially in search of Monica, even though he knew she was home, partially trying to think clearly. He never realized how much he could scare someone who he liked so much. Eventually he ended up back at the beach, and got in his car, driving home. So much for a great way to start off summer vacation.  
  
Sorry not much happened in this chapter. I'm building it up, so please bear with me. Hopefully I'll have another chapter up in a few days. R&R, please. 


	5. The One Where She Cancels

Brrrring. brrrring. Monica's alarm clock rang. After hitting the sleep button on numerous occasions, Monica finally got herself out of bed and went to the shower. After drying off, she dressed herself in a new t- shirt and skirt, threw on her sandals and grabbed her backpack. Today was the first day of junior year.  
  
Though she planned on spending much of the summer with Chandler, her parents decided to spend the summer visiting various college campuses, as Ross was entering senior year. They decided that it would be more economical if Monica went with them, as they wouldn't have to travel cross- country again next year. So the summer was spent in the family's minivan and tiny hotel rooms. Chandler was never off Monica's mind though, and she was determined to become "more than friends" with him before prom.  
  
"Hey, Mon!" Chandler said as he saw her putting her books in her locker.  
  
"Chandler!" She exclaimed as she embraced him. "How was your summer? I'm so sorry I didn't get in touch with you sooner, but my parents just decided spur of the moment to go visiting schools for Ross."  
  
"No prob. Where's he looking into?"  
  
"NYU, Berkeley, Stanford, Northwestern, Penn and Princeton."  
  
"Cool. I'm so nervous about these college applications. I spent hours this summer just filling them out."  
  
"Yeah. I hope to do good this year. I really want to go to a school in the city. they're all really tough to get into though."  
  
"You'll do great. Anyways, I have to get to class, but say, wanna get some pizza after school today?"  
  
"Sure. See you then."  
  
The months passed by and Winter Dance was approaching. Many guys had asked Monica to the dance, but she said no to all of them. Chandler suspected that she still didn't trust guys, and was therefore afraid to ask her to the dance. Monica, on the other hand, was turning the guys down because she was hoping that Chandler would ask her. But it was a week before the dance and Chandler still hadn't said a word.  
  
"Hey, you need a ride home?" Chandler asked Monica a few days later, car keys in hand.  
  
"Sure, that would be great," she responded, as they headed towards his car.  
  
As they fastened their seatbelts, Monica decided to strike up converstation.  
  
"So, Chandler, are you going to the dance?"  
  
"Yeah, I think so. you?"  
  
"I doubt it. So, you got a date already?"  
  
"Nope. I think I'm going to ask this girl in my history class, though."  
  
"Oh, really," Monica said with a hint of disappointment in her voice. The rest of the car ride Monica remained silent as a plethora of thougts invaded her head. As they approached her house, Monica decided that there was no time like the present.  
  
"Chandler, I need to tell you something."  
  
"Okay, what is it?"  
  
"Um. I dunno how to put it. I know we're best friends and all. but I really like you. like more than friends. and I wanted to go to the dance with you. but I guess that's not going to happen given that you've found yourself a date. so this was really stupid and I should go now," she said as she hopped out of the car and ran inside her house. 'Why was I so stupid,' she thought to herself. 'I should have just waited for his response.'  
  
Chandler in the meantime was sitting in his car in conflict. 'Wow, she likes me. SHE LIKES ME!!! But what should I do? Should I go in her house and tell her how I feel? No, she seemed rather upset. Hmmm. Why do I always think outloud?' he said, as he drove away from the Gellar's house.  
  
The next day Monica went to school, hoping to avoid Chandler at all costs. That lasted about ten minutes, when she saw him standing by her locker.  
  
"Hey Mon," he said casually, as if nothing had happened the previous day.  
  
"Hey," she mumbled.  
  
"So I gotta ask you something. I want to ask this girl out to the dance, but I don't know how. any suggestions?"  
  
"Um. I dunno Chandler. I'm not an expert on this," Monica said, without making eye contact.  
  
"So Mon, I asked this girl how to ask you to the dance, and she said "I dunno Chandler, I'm not an expert on this," so, by lack of ideas, Mon, will you be my date for the Winter Dance?" Monica was astounded. He was asking her out?  
  
"Oh my. um. I mean. SURE!!!" She said as she hugged him.  
  
"Thanks Mon. You know, I wanted to ask you a while ago, but you kept turning all the guys down, and I didn't know how if you turned me down, like if that would ruin our friendship. I'm so glad you said yes." He said as he hugged her tighter. Monica just smiled.  
  
The week went on, and Monica and Rachel went shopping for dresses. Monica got an irridescent gown with a layer of tulle on top, while Rachel went for a tea-length slip dress.  
  
"So, how's it going with Chandler?" Rachel asked, when they arrived back at the Green household.  
  
"Great," Monica said with a smile.  
  
"Are you two an item yet?"  
  
"No, I think I'm just a date to the dance for him."  
  
"Well, maybe things will heat up at night. him and Ross both sprung for the block rooms." Monica gasped. He knew of her horrific experience last year, so how could he do that to her?  
  
"Um, Rach, I gotta go," she said, and took off towards her house. Monica arrived home and ran up to her room. She quickly dialed Chandler's phone number.  
  
"Hey," Chandler said casually into the receiver.  
  
"Chandler, I can't go to the dance with you," Monica said.  
  
"What?" Chandler was surprised. "I already booked a room for the after-party."  
  
"I can't go. Bye." Monica said and hung up the phone. Tears welled up in her eyes and began running down her cheeks. She looked at her dress hanging in her closet. She'd have to return that. She broke down into a sob, fell on her bed, and cried herself to sleep.  
  
Monica woke up the next day and got dressed. She didn't want to see Chandler at all, but she knew that she had to go to school. After putting on some clothes, she went to the kitchen and waited for Ross to come down and take her to school.  
  
As lunch time approached, Monica went to the library instead of the cafeteria. She had packed herself a sandwich, and ate it quietly in the corner, so that the librarian wouldn't catch her.  
  
In the meantime, Chandler sat alone at the cafeteria table. 'Why did Monica cancel on me?' he thought to himself. 'And why would she not even come here for lunch?' Chandler let his mind drift, and sat alone until the bell rang.  
  
Saturday was the day of the dance. Chandler decided to go stag, but cancelled the hotel room. He wasn't in the mood to party. Monica, on the other hand, stayed in her bed, curled up with her teddy bear, as she heard her mom ooohing and ahhhing over Ross and Rachel as her dad snapped pictures of the couple. Monica reached for the phone, wanting to call Chandler, but she remembered that he was at the dance, and she wasn't on speaking terms with him at the moment.  
  
Chandler arrived at the gym doors. He entered the gym and was surrounded by streamers, paper snowflakes, and hundreds of their classmates. Ross and Rachel approached them.  
  
"Where's Mon?" Rachel asked, when he saw he wasn't with Monica.  
  
"She cancelled on me."  
  
"Really? Because she seemed excited about going with you when we were dress shopping."  
  
"I don't know. She just called me Wednesday night and told me she wasn't coming. Was she weird at all?"  
  
"Um. well she left when I told her that you had booked a room. I don't know why though." All of a sudden, Chandler was hit with an answer. Of course she didn't want to go to a hotel room afterwards. After last year. Why had he been so inconsiderate? And why hadn't he thought it through? he thought to himself.  
  
"I gotta go," Chandler said, and left Ross and Rachel, who were utterly confused.  
  
Sorry this took so long to put up. please review. Thanks (. 


	6. The One with the Resolution

Bang. Bang. Bang.  
  
"Coming!" Judy Gellar yelled as she walked to the door. Although it was only nine in the evening, she wasn't expecting any company, especially with Ross out and Monica sleeping in her room.  
  
"Good evening, Chandler. What brings you here tonight?" Judy asked upon opening the door.  
  
"Is Monica here?" Chandler asked. "I really need to talk to her."  
  
"I think she's sleeping, but you can go upstairs and check."  
  
"Ok, thanks Mrs. Gellar," Chandler said as he ascended the staircase.  
  
Chandler walked down the hallway until he reached Monica's room. He knocked on the door lightly, not wanting to wake her up if she were sleeping.  
  
"Come in," Monica said, thinking her father was on the other side of the door. Chandler poked his head in, and then the rest of his body, and saw Monica sitting up in her bed with tear stained eyes and an old pair of sweats on. Monica gasped when she saw that it was Chandler, instead, that was in her room. "Chandler, what are you doing here? I told you I wasn't going to the dance."  
  
"I was an idiot," Chandler replied. "I knew that you wouldn't have wanted to go back to the hotel, and instead of listening to my conscience, I booked a room. I should have been much more sensitive, and I hope you will forgive me."  
  
"Sit down, Chandler," she said, motioning to her bed. Chandler cautiously sat down as she proceeded to talk. "Look, I really like you, Chandler, and I should have just told you what was bothering me instead of just cancelling on you like I did."  
  
"It's ok, Mon. And I really like you too." Chandler said, honestly.  
  
"So where does this leave us?" Monica inquired. "Are we good friends who like each other, or are we more than that?"  
  
"More than that," Chandler said as he stroked Monica's cheek. He looked into her eyes and saw them sparkling like they had a little over a year ago, before she suffered from being hurt by Joey. She was so beautiful, and upon staring into her eyes he felt as if he could only do one thing. He closed his eyes and moved his lips forward towards hers.  
  
Upon seeing what Chandler was doing, Monica impulsively jerked her head away, causing Chandler to nearly fall forward. Chandler sat up, with a puzzled look on his face.  
  
"I'm sorry, Chandler, I really want to be your girlfriend, but we have to take things really slow. The only person to ever kiss me was Joey, and so I only have bad memories. But over time I promise I'll get better."  
  
"It's ok, sweetie. Anyways, I better get going, but I'll see you on Monday. um, Mon.?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Can I hug you?"  
  
"Sure." She said, opening up her arms. He held her in a tight grip for a long time before finally letting go. "Bye, Mon," he said with a smile before exiting her room.  
  
Monica smiled back, "goodbye," before drifting back off to sleep. 


	7. The One with the Date

I'm sorry for making the last one so short.this one's not too long either, but I figure that something's better than nothing at all. Anyways, read & review. I'll try to post more later, when I finally get over my writer's block.  
  
DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters.  
  
"Monica, come on, we're going to be late!" Ross exclaimed Monday morning. Monica continued putting on makeup in front of the bathroom mirror. "Mon, if you're not here in two seconds, you'll have to get a ride yourself."  
  
"I'm coming, Ross! Hold on!" Monica screamed as she gathered up her stuff and put on her coat.  
  
"Whoa, Mon, what's with the hair and makeup?" Ross asked.  
  
"What's with it?"  
  
"I dunno, I mean you look nice. but we're just going to school."  
  
"Well, Ross, maybe I want to look my best," Monica replied as she went into the backseat, and Ross started driving to Rachel's house, to pick her up. "So, how was the big night?"  
  
"Eh. it was ok," Ross replied. "I mean, it was fun, but I've got prom this year, which will be so much better. By the way, what happened with you and Chandler? He left almost immediately after getting to the dance."  
  
"Um, he came over and we talked," Monica said, not trying to reveal anything.  
  
"And." Ross asked, waiting for her to continue.  
  
"Then I went to sleep," Monica said, as Ross pulled up to the Green house and Rachel stepped in.  
  
  
  
Monica stared at the clock, waiting for the minute hand to hit the nine. Pre-Calc was never this long before, but the minutes passed like hours as she waited for lunch. She hadn't seen Chandler since Saturday night. 'My boyfriend,' she thought to herself. 'I have a boyfriend.'  
  
Finally, after what seemed like eternity, the bell sounded, indicating that it was time for Monica to make her way towards the cafeteria. She smiled as she saw Chandler waiting by her classroom door.  
  
"Hey Mon," he said, handing her a single white daisy.  
  
"Hey," she said with a smile. "What's up?"  
  
"Not too much," he said, entwining his fingers with hers. "Got a daisy for you."  
  
"Thanks, they're my favorite."  
  
The two proceeded to walk towards the cafeteria, holding hands. Both had large smiles on their faces, as if this was the best day ever. Lunchtime conversation was the same as usual, but it didn't matter to either of them. They were just happy to have each other.  
  
As the bell rang and they began heading in their separate directions, Chandler asked "You have any plans for Saturday night?"  
  
"Not yet."  
  
"So, you want to go to a movie or something," Chandler asked.  
  
"Like a date?" Monica inquired as a smile formed on her face.  
  
"Yeah. We can get a bite to eat too."  
  
"Sure, that would be great."  
  
"So I'll pick you up at seven," Chandler said as he gave her a hug goodbye.  
  
The week flew by for Monica as she made sure to have her first real date be perfect. Lunchtime conversations flew by and her heart would flutter every time she saw Chandler walking in the hall. Platonic feelings towards Chandler were long gone. And that started to scare her. 'What if things don't work out,' she asked herself. 'Then we won't even be friends.' But when she thought about it further, she believed that everything would work out between her and Chandler.  
  
At seven p.m. sharp, the doorbell rang.  
  
"I got it!" Monica yelled, as she put on the last of her blush. She opened the door to see Chandler standing there with a small bouquet of daisies in his hand.  
  
"Come in," Monica said as he handed her the daisies. "I just gotta put these in water and then I'll be ready to go." With that she went upstairs to put the flowers in a vase, and grabbed her coat.  
  
"So, what are we going to see?" Monica asked as she entered the car.  
  
"That is up to you."  
  
"Geez. I'm the worst decision maker."  
  
Upon arriving at the movie theatre, they saw that the only movie that wasn't sold out was a sappy romance movie. 'I knew I should have gotten tickets in advance,' Chandler thought to himself. 'At least she might like this one.' They found seats in the theatre, and Chandler left, coming back a few minutes later with popcorn and soda. Halfway through the movie, when Chandler reached for the drink, he saw Monica's hand reaching towards it too. Instead of putting his hand around the big cup, he entwined his fingers with hers, and their hands stayed together for the rest of the movie.  
  
"So, Mon, what do you want to eat?" Chandler asked when the credits started rolling.  
  
"Nothing too fancy," was her response.  
  
"How about Italian? There's that little trattoria down the road."  
  
"Sounds good."  
  
They drove towards the restaurant and sat down at a small table, where a small candle was dimly lit.  
  
"This is so nice, Chandler," Monica said.  
  
"You know what's even nicer?" he asked.  
  
"No, what?"  
  
"You." When Monica hesitated to talk, Chandler continued. "Oh God, I sound like that guy from the movie." Monica softly chuckled.  
  
"That's okay. I'll take your cheesy line as a compliment." And with that, Chandler smiled. The conversation didn't cease, and their food remained barely eaten as they continued talking throughout the meal.  
  
After dinner, Monica and Chandler walked back to his car, taking in the smell of the restaurant cooking its old-fashioned dishes, and the sights of the Christmas lights that hadn't been taken down yet.  
  
"Are you ready to go home or do you want to go for a walk?" Chandler asked.  
  
"A walk seems nice," she responded, as she grabbed his hand. The two of them proceeded to walk down the road of the quaint town, and into the small playground down the road. Monica sat down on a swing and motioned for Chandler to sit down next to her.  
  
"Look how nice the sky is this time of night," Monica said as Chandler sat down on the cold, black swing.  
  
"It's beautiful."  
  
"Just like me," Monica said with a small giggle. "I beat you to it, Bing."  
  
"So, Mon, how's life."  
  
"Life?"  
  
"Yeah, just thought it would make interesting conversation."  
  
"Life is good," she said. "Life is really good. Have you heard from any colleges yet?"  
  
"Yeah, I got into NYU. I think I'm going to go there. They offered me a scholarship, and it's right in the city. plus, those dorms are sweet!"  
  
"Really? Ross is going there too. He did early, so he's sorta bound. but he's excited. especially because it's right near the Museum of Natural History."  
  
"What's there?" Chandler inquired.  
  
"Dinosaurs," Monica said before breaking out into laughter. When her laughter finally died down, she asked, "Chandler, what time is it?"  
  
"About midnight," he responded.  
  
"My curfew's really soon. I'm really sorry but I gotta get going."  
  
"That's ok, let's get back to the car."  
  
They talked about meaningless stuff the rest of the way home, until they reached Monica's house.  
  
"Monica?" Chandler asked with a hint of nervousness.  
  
"What's up?"  
  
"Um. never mind," he said, pulling her into a tight embrace, and kissing her forehead. "I had a great time with you tonight."  
  
"As did I."  
  
"So next week?"  
  
"Definitely." She said as she walked out of the car, and waved goodbye to Chandler. Chandler looked at her and waved back. He had to fight every temptation during the movie, at dinner, at the park and then in the car, in order to restrain himself from kissing her soft lips. 'Its all in good time,' he thought to himself as he drove away into the night. 


End file.
